Hub for positively-driven steering-wheels.



vRESTANARD '4 nHUB PoR' 'POSITIVBLY DRIVBN STEERING WHEELS 4 PPPPPP TI-ONIPILED MARR. 1913.

I Patented Ju4 ,1914.-

, En Ta- BET 2 miran STATES- MTW 1%* l Friet, e

FRANK' H. STANARD', or JDENVER,vv oonoaand assieNoa roar- 1E s'rANann antro- MOBILE MANUFACTURING oMPANY, 6r DENVER, coLoMnd-A CORPORATION or COLORADO.

HUB ron. PosITrvnLY-Dnrvnn" STEERING-WHEELS. Y,

Licence;

T0 all whom it may concern: .l

Be it known `that I, FRANK H. STANARD,

a citizenof the United States, residingat Denver, in the county of Denver-and State of Colorado, -have invented new and useful improvements in vHubs for Positivelyf Driven Steering-Wheels, o'fwhi'ch the fol-y lowing is av specification@ The primary object of thisv inventionvi's the provision of a hub and mountings for' a positivelyy driven Steering wheel ,for vehicles which will admit ofthe use of astraight or integral axle and drivingshaft 1n contrav distinction to axles having steeringknuckles and drive shafts -provided fwifthluniversalt joints, with the result that the-construction'- is materially simplified, the number of partsreduced to the fewest possiblef'and the wheel'` and axlemade durable without requiring an extra amount ofjmaterial and a consequent bulky and -fcumbers'ome appearance.

" -An .essential feature of theinvention re. sides 1n a one plece axle and a continuous I- drive shaft, the wheel being, mounted upon of the. hub/bearing and outer end axle. lic-- the axle in such a manner as to rotate freely thereon While at the same timebeing capable of turning to effect a proper steering of the vehicle or machine, the several Iparts being completely housed to revent .t e "entrance of dust or the waste o lubricant.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combina.-

tion of parts, which hereinafter will bemore particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, and pointed out in the a pen ed claims.

Re erring to the drawings, forming a part lof the specification,V Figure-1 isa vertical central longitudinal section of the hub of a positively driven steering wheel for vehicles embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a liori-v zontal section on the line v-m of Fig. l. Fig..3 is a. vertical cross section of theA hub on the line y-y 'of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a hor-Lv zontal section of the hub yon the line M24-'w of Fig. l, the axle and driving shaft being omitted. Fig. 5 is a 'detail perspectiveffvilw o t e Corresponding and like parts are referred to ift-.the .-followinggdesription, and indicated-in lall thevliewsvof vthe drawing;

the 'same' reference characters.

The axle 1nia"be of any type andis rigid i throughout -itsrr ength,-,being free from the usualjsteering lmu'clfrles,l Such as 'p generally providedf for the' frorlt'- axle 'of automobiles is f'fftirmed .withg-.a' ``1lo'ngijtufdi'nal 'opening to r'eceivettlief dri-vingf-shaftf'Z'f'by ymeans of whiehipower istl` transmitted to the hub of the steering `wheel forl imparting positive :movement-thereto." y

l pThehub'bea'ring comprises an'up AerpartI t, fand a lower art 3, said parts being relatively''djustale to compensate for 'Wear iand fto insure a close lit between theV eo- -`0perating parts. The parts 3f and :S.have flanges 3b which 'embrace opposite sides of the axle, thereby preventing any 'turning 'of-the hub bearing upon the axle! The mid- Adle portion of each of the parts 3 'and 3'is widened to form a substantially circular.

part. 3c in the outer'edge portion of which y'is formed an annular groove to receive balls bymeans of which antifriction bearings are provided between the hub bearing and cone 4 uponwhich .the hub of the steering wheel is directly mounted. The cone 4 has an opening to receive'fthe hub bearing, said opening.being flared toward 'opposite ends in a horizontal plane to admit ofthe cone having'a limited turning movement about Y `a vertical axis. The cone 4 is prevented from rotating about the hub bearing and the 1 upper and lower walls .adjacent the opening thereof are provided with annular 'grooves to. match theannular grooves of the respec? I tive parts 3 and B to form ball races in which balls 2,4 and 25 are placed. A close fit is provided for'between the hubbearing and cone by the relative adjustment of the parts 3 and 3a which is ee'cted by means of a Wedge 22 or other part, said wedge being inserted between the axle and one of the parts of the hub bearing. A nut 6 threaded upon the outer end of the axle engages the hub bearing 4and cone and retains suchparts which is fu in place upon the axle. -The cone 4 is provided at its .inner end with a toothed portion'28 which is adapted to engage with the toothed ortion 29 of a steering arm 16 llrumed upon a pin 30 set into the axle 1.

. The' hub 5 is mounted upon the cone 4 to rotate thereon and to turn therewith about a vertical axis. The borev or opening of the hub 5 is enlarged at itsY opposite ends to form, annular shoulders: -which constitute parts of'fball races in which are placed balls 20 and 21.' The cone 4 has an annular shoulder near its inner endV which, in conjunction with the annular shoulder at the inner end of the hub 5, receives the balls 20. A cone 7 is.- threaded upon the outer end of the cone 4 and confines the balls 20 between it and the outer annular shoulder of the hub 5. A

i. hub 5 is formed on the segment of a sphere.

,A band l2 is fitted centrally upon the-hub 5 .pins 11. The hub flanges 17 and 18 are secured to end portions of the hub 5v and receive the inner ends of the spokes 19. Bolts 23 connect the Aouter membersv of. the hub fianges and clamp the. same against the sides of the band 1 2- and the-inner ends of the spokes 19.v A'shield 15 is slipped upon the arm ofthe axle against the shoulder 31 formled at the inner end of such axle arm. 35

A companion shield 14 is connected with the hub and overlaps the outer portion of the shield or guard 15. rl`he shields or guards 14 and 15 are formed as segments or spheres so as to maintain a close joint and yet not interfere with the free rota-tion and angular adjustment of the wheel. A- hub cap 13 is secured to the vertical member of the hub agge 18 and closes the outer portion of t-he hu The driving shaft 2 makes connection at its outer end with-a head 9 in which is formed an arcuate opening to receive a semicircular yoke 10 which is connectedl at its y ends to the band 12 at diametrically opposite points. Motion is transmitted to the Wheel in any angular position by means of the head 9 and yoke 10.- The ends of the .yoke 10 pass through openings formed in the hub fiange 18 and band l2 and are connected to the latter by opposite pins 11'. The outer portionl of the driving shaft is threaded and receives a cone 26 which engages the inner wall of a recess formed in the outer end Qf the axle 1. A cone 27 is threaded'in/th'eV recess formed in thef outer end ofvthe'axl'e and balls are placed between .Fe/.fthe ;two conesr26 and 27 to provide an antiffriction'bearing between the outer end of :the driving shaft and the axle.

lock nut 8 threaded upon the outer end ofV and is secured thereto by means of studs or The invention provides a rigid axleand driving shaft free from knuckles or joints l y while at the same timesupp'orting' a wheel which may be angularly adjusted for steering and at the same time positively rotated to assist materially in propelling the vehicle or machine,"t he hub and mountings being simple in construction andv arrangement and capable o f withstanding hard usage without requiring a mass of materialinorder t`0 provide the requisite strength'and as a consequence the hub is free from acumberso'me and bulky appearance. The angular adjustment of the wheel is effected by means of the steering arm Y16 through the instrumentality of the segment gearing 28 and v29. The wheel may be easily removed from the axle after the hub cap 13 and nut '6 have been displaced by drawing the same outward in the usual manner, theconstruction being such as to admit of the wheel being easily and quickly slippedifrom the axle or upon lthe same The Yhead 9 is coupled to the outer end of the driving shaft 2 by means of a slip joint, the parts in engagement -interlocking so as to insure transmission of movementv from the driving 'shaftto the yoke 10 and from'such yoke to the vehicle steering Wheel. A. y

From the foregoing description, taken iny connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily i apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention'appertains,and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention,` together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and

that such changes may be made when de-` sired as arewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto. @e

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In combination a rigid axle, a driving shaft mounted in the axle, a hub mounted upon the axle to rotate about the same and having a limited angular adjustment about a substantially vertical axis, a yoke pivotally connected withl the hub and struck from a centerv coinciding with the axis about which the hub is adapted to be turned for angular adjustment, and ahead havin@ sliding connection with such yoke and a apted to be coupled to the driving shaft for rotation therewith.

v2. In combination arigid axle, a driving shaft mounted therein, a hub mounted upon the axle to rota-te thereon and adapted to have alimited angular-adjustment about avertical axis, a yoke of approximately semicircular form pivotally connected at its ends with the hub at opposite points, and a head having sliding connection With'sueh yoke and adapted to malie detachable connection with the driving shaft. b

3. In Combination an axle, a driving'shaft 4mounted therein, a hub mounted upon the axle to rotate thereon and adapted to have a limited angular adjustment about a vertical axis,l a han@ connected centrally With the hub, a Semieireular yoke having its end poi'- tions connected With such band, and a head 10 `slilable upon the yoke and making detachable connection with the driving Shaft.

` r In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK n. suman.

Witnesses:

O. N. PARSONS, GEO. W. THORNBURGH. 

